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The right side of my neck was very soar, I had been doing ...
Sent to Health Experts October 25 01:05 AM

The right side of my neck was very soar, I had been doing some repetitive movement (taping the same size boxes up for 8 strait hours, lifting, taping, moving them).

I discovered a knot in the middle of this soar/sensitive area, below the surface in my neck, I thought it was a stress "knot". I used a hand held roller- massager on that area of my neck to try and work it out. What actually happened was the "Knot" moved down (along w/sensitivity/soarness) my neck, and now it's in the muscle near the collar bone area.

Is this a "stress knot", should I be concerned? Do knots move like that? Can I work the knot out? What can I/should I do about this? Could it be something else? I did not notice the soarness/pain or the "knot" until after a couple of work days of this repetitive activity. Any comments/help/advice would be most welcome. Thank you. P.S. the "knot" seems to be about the size of a marble, simi-hard, has give to it, since it moved, it's not as soar as it first was

 

Optional Information:
Male , Age: 46

Already Tried:
more masaging, rubbing, ben-gay ointment, afraid to do too much...

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $10
Answer
October 25 1:24 AM (19 minutes and 21 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark

Hello,

It is likely that the knot and the stress are not related and the knot which in most probability is a lymph node which is palpable because of infection. The infection need not be severe, dust exposure or a mild sore throat can also cause a lymph node swelling. Lymphnode is mobile and hece the movement.

However, there are a few other reasons which can cause a mobile knot in the neck like cysts or benign tissue growths.

If there is pain persisting in the neck, you can take a single dose of over the counter antiinflammatory medicine. This will help resolve the inflammation of the strained muscles as well as sore throat. This should cause the swelling of the lymphnode or knot to subside. If it does not subside or the size increases or the pain persists /increases you need to show it to a doctor or a surgeon.

No it can't be worked out and please avoid massaging it. Hope this was useful.

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haloprecious -- Doctor (MD) -- 98% Positive Feedback on 383 Health Accepts
graduate in Medicine,experienced in fields of medicine,gynae and pediatrics
Reply
October 25 1:47 AM (22 minutes and 32 seconds later)
         
Reply to haloprecious's Post: You mentioned that exposure to dust could be a factor-- I Am currently working & sleeping at a job site most of 24hrs a day there-- work all day, & sleep in a RV(w/a air filter in RV) inside the warehouse-- and there is a black film on everything inside the warehouse that is not covered or cleaned... could this be the cause? Should I warn others who work there about this? Also-- if I try the antiinflamatory medicine, how long should it take to make the Lympnode to dissolve, will it completely dissappear(if that's what it is)? and what exactly should I look for at the drugstore (label?/names?) This has me very concerened, and I appricate your help.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
October 25 2:05 AM (18 minutes and 31 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark

Yes , exposure to dust can also be a factor and obviously from what you have explained there is a lot of suspended particles in the air. This is a very potential site for bacteria,viruses and fungus to thrive. So the chances are that you have an infection which has lead to swelling of lymphnode.

Yes, you can warn others to atleast cover their noses and mouth while working in such a place. Also I would suggest you to avoid staying in such a place for longer periods(more than10 hours).If you have to, atleast try to sleep somewhere else.

The anti inflammatory medicine is supposed to reduce the inflammation i.e. subside the swelling but if there is an infection persisting even in a moderate degree it won't be completely effective unless given with antibiotics in case of bacteria. However, what you can do is -

  • Keep your nose and mouth covered while working
  • Take the antiinflammotry medicine for 2 days (not more than that).You can take Brufen or Naproxen at an interval of 12 hours after meals.
  • Warm saline gargles should be done every 4 hourly.

If inspite of all these you still have a sore throat or the lymphnode swelling,it means that specific medication is needed.Then, you need to consult a doctor and do mention about the treatment that was already done. Hope this was helpful.

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haloprecious -- Doctor (MD) -- 98% Positive Feedback on 383 Health Accepts
graduate in Medicine,experienced in fields of medicine,gynae and pediatrics
Reply
October 25 2:25 AM (19 minutes and 23 seconds later)
         
Reply to haloprecious's Post: Last info I need-- I will accept after this-- and thankyou again...

Up until recently, I was working in a centrally cooled office closed off from the warehouse part of building, sleeping in the RV in warehouse, but during the past week, All my work was inside the warehouse, and I've been leaving the back door of RV open longer lately (w/out air filter).
Until I'm back in office, I'll try to use mask in warehouse. This weekend, I'll be out/away from the building from Fri-Sunday.
I did have cysts removed from my back 3-5 yrs ago-- (all okay), and they never "moved around".

Do you have any Generic Names for me to look for-- for the Anti-inflamitory Medicine to take?

Lastly-- The computer I'm currently on does not have a printer attached-- will I be able to access your responses later and print them out and keep for further instruction?

Thank you very much. God Bless.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
October 25 2:38 AM (13 minutes and 28 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark

The Generic names for antiinflammatory drugs are- Ibuprofen and Naproxen sodium. You can use any one of these. Avoid combining it with other painkillers/medcine and avoid alcohol.Preferably take Ibuprofen as naproxen can cause dizziness and one should avoid driving or operating heavy machinery while on it.

I am sorry I donot know whether you will be able to access these answers later, you can save them from your browser with the save option on the file button. Alternatively you can also writing to info@justanswer.com for further guidance. Hope this has been helpful.

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haloprecious -- Doctor (MD) -- 98% Positive Feedback on 383 Health Accepts
graduate in Medicine,experienced in fields of medicine,gynae and pediatrics
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